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It’s a lovely elixir of almost unbelievably luscious flavors made by using beer in reductions and, well, to make syrups. On pages 197 & 199 of the new (totally fantastic!!) Beer Pairing book by Julia & Gwen, they cover making syrups.

goodies simmering in beer….

I’ve got some in my fridge from the prep I did for the Big Beers festival in early January. For the seminar I lead, I had simmered various fresh citrus fruits & dried vegetables in beer. Once the fruits and vegetables were done, I saved the liquid. Almost every liquid in my kitchen finds a new life in other dishes. At a minimum the worms in my compost pile are extremely happy with what we give them!

Making beer syrup is quite simple with perhaps the most difficult part simply deciding which beers to reduce. Caveat: very bitter beers are not good candidates, as they can get very unpleasantly tannic. (I first learned this in cooking prep for the TFOB). It’s not what you or the beer really wants. All the same, experiment and cook a variety of beers down to see what you get, taste every few minutes to learn more about what’s happening and how the flavors change until you find what you want.

In preparation for my Vail session, I simmered ruby red grapefruit, lemons, limes, blood oranges, valencia oranges, and kiwi in 3 different beers: New Holland Dragon’s Milk, Allagash Nancy, and Bruery Terreaux Oude tart with Bosenberries. WOW! Talk about a very fun and tasty experiment – or shall I say exbeeriment….in all events, the syrup in my fridge from those exploits is deliciously awaiting being included in recipes. So far, I’ve used some for baking sweet potatoes (yum), smoothies (yum), and punch

I love sharing new ideas with hungry audiences – Vail rocks!

(yum). They’re quite versatile so get creative.

Lucy Saunders, long time food & beer pro, is an outstanding resource for cooking with beer. Her books are useful, fun and a delight for the enthusiastic cook using beer in the kitchen. And I’m just starting to get to know Adam Dulye, beer chef for the BA.

When you find yourself looking for a new idea, make some beer syrups. I guarantee it’s beer as you’ve never had it before and well worth while. Oh, and sipping on a beer while you’re cooking is the best way to happily wait for the alchemy to happen.

Last year about this time I found myself in a self-imposed experiment: watch the entire Superbowl from start to finish and really look at the advertisements between play. No pre-game show, thanks – it was enough of an investment for me to simply sit through 3 hours of American football.

I had asked the general public for volunteers who wanted to scope out their local beer retailers to make observations on the beer displays they found. Thanks to Joanna in Orlando and Leslie in Monterey among them for contributing their thoughts.

Overall their thoughts were what I’d call positive: no huge gender influence or sexism. YES! It’s a small victory for women and beer and I hope that continues for a long time.

What have you seen for beer ads so far? Displays in your grocers or alcohol stores?

So what was the result of my watchings?

Well, it was a large variety of companies and purposes. You can watch them here. The most profound one to me was the domestic abuse commercial, based on a real chilling phone conversation of a woman calling 911 – unbeknownst to whomever was in the house threatening her – under the guise of ordering a pizza.

They ranged from tax service companies to cars to TV programs to snack foods and, of course, ubiquitous beer ads. I loved this one from Reebok, as it was suited to the event and focuses on their core message and strength of everyone. Kudos!

As it stood, Budweiser was the beer sponsor of the event so it only makes sense to only see their ads. How much does an ad cost during the game? Find out here – and you better be sitting down.

What I was glad to observe was that, while there were certainly questionable ads as far as sexism goes, the offenders were other than beer. I’d give them a pass (the other companies) and say they were simply silly, wondering why they even put the particular ad up during Superbowl. Yet that would lessen the overall message of making sure sexism in all forms is banished and inappropriate no matter the products and services advertised. So I won’t.

A few head scratchers were:

Why was there a male voice over for the female Paralympian Amy Purdy? Why wasn’t a women chosen?

Why the sexed up animals in the tortoise and hare ad?

No females in any of the car ads.

Women make between 75-85% of all purchases. Who’s forgetting this fact? A whole bunch of people working for a whole bunch of different companies apparently. Those who remember will see benefits far and wide in so many ways. Most importantly for building equality for all, the globe over.

The Superbowl is on iconic televised event – those advertisers could help change the world for the better by promoting gender equity and respect instead of the same old tired sexist forays. What an incredible opportunity for those who can see the forest and the trees!

If you decide to watch the bowl this weekend and want to share your thoughts on the ads, I’d love to hear it all.

I’ll thank my family (again) for participating in the exercise with me last year. It won’t happen anytime in the near future, though I’m sure I’ll still be curious about the ads as many of us are.

For those of you who happen to have a Women Enjoying Beer pencil, please bow your heads for a moment.

Goodbye to the Sanford Giant, she served me well. Welcome Staples model. We’ve got lots to do ahead….

It’s with sadness I announce: I’ve killed a pencil sharpener. Rather, I’ve likely exhausted it thoroughly so it now gets to go to the Great Recycling Beyond.

[….moment of silence….]

It’s with joy in my heart though and a tear in my eye that I put it to rest in the metals bin. This stalwart champ has seen me through thousands upon thousands of pencil sharpenings since I began buying pencils as promotional items. She’s stood by my side through my Snap! Creative Works company pencils, then into Women Enjoying Beer.

The pencils sharpened by this gem have been used at festivals across the North American continent, given to class attendees, at events, and to clients.

There’s a gut level connection to pencils for many people. They have generally played a role in helping us learn how to write, spell, and create term papers on topics without which we’d be stuck with an unerasable pen (goodness!). They seem to evoke nostalgia and people smile when they receive them. That in turn makes me happy. And it tells me it’s an effective marketing tool.

So if you have one of the said pencils – whether from Snap! or Women Enjoying Beer and are willing to take and post a picture here, I’d love to see some of them. If you’d like a few more, get in touch – I can get you some fresh reinforcements. Thanks in advance.

I don’t yet have the pleasure of having talked to Mr. Schonbrun, since I was not contacted by him for this piece, and I’ve already ticked off some others. So be it. The voices of others not represented and fully acknowledged weren’t even included in this article: female beer consumers and buyers.

Here’s what I agree with from Mr. Schonbrun’s article.

It’s good he’s writing about a topic which, sadly, should have been equalized millenia ago. I thank him for bringing to light a matter of gender equity. Yes, women + beer is about equity, not about beer at all in the big scheme of things.

A publication of such note and influence internationally like the New York Times is a great place to share information, insight and knowledge.

He contacted some interesting sources to cite and quote. Not knowing his record of accuracy in work, I’ll assume he’s sound in his practices to be accurate and careful. And I appreciate his efforts to seemingly accurately put forth with his sources shared with him.

I sincerely hope it gets a lot of people talking about how poorly beer represents women and I hope the many woman who tell others to “relax and have a beer” about this rethink their glib attitudes. Indeed, did they have relatives and loved ones in their family & friend trees who died in human rights struggles to so carelessly tell me to chill? More importantly I hope it moves you to action. Stand up, step up, speak up.

The article opens:

“For years, one of the main criticisms of beer advertising was that it tended to either objectify women or disregard them entirely. Marketers seemed to be too busy trying to appeal to the young male audience they knew would consistently drink beer by the case to worry about anyone else.

Now, that appears to be changing.”

As an impatient optimist, I’d like to believe this statement. However I’m skeptical. I’m skeptical by the fact that we’re still myopic when it comes to gender, that people still judge ability on sex when it’s such a ludicrous idea.

I’m skeptical because I know that companies everywhere, of all goods & services including beer, would be better off to throw off the yoke of sexism and embrace people of all makes and models as their potential audience. How could conditions not improve by opening minds to opportunity and education? That’s the crux of the issue here, not beer.

I’m skeptical because so many articles and pieces which influence thinking are monolithic. Beer isn’t monolithic, women aren’t monolithic, business isn’t monolithic and brands aren’t monolithic even though some of them have put way too many of their own eggs in one basket. Nothing is monolithic except true monoliths, like these. To lump everything of every category into one narrow window of definition is dangerous for everyone.

Skepticism is joined by astonishment as the article continues:

” ‘It was fine to show a frat party making fun of girls five or eight years ago,’ Mr. Adamson said. ‘But it’s ineffective and potentially damaging to do today.’ “

Mr. Adamson is the former chairman of the brand consulting firm Landor Associates. Let’s ponder his comments for a moment.

First of all, the actual definition of a ‘girl’ = a female child. It’s denigrating to have someone who is supposed to be in a position of impact and authority start off with a gross indicator of disrespect. Women & females are appropriate and full respect titles; girls are girls and they are different. It’s easy to get it right. He got it wrong.

Next, it was never ‘fine’ and has never been fine nor will it ever be fine. He’s telling the world that it’s okay to disrespect, dismiss, and in general dis women outright and accept and welcome the ‘frat party’ humor that reduces us all. Mr. Adamson needs to work at a women’s abuse shelter for a bit of reality of how much farther we still need to go to develop gender equity.

Enter David Kroll.

“The number [of female beer drinkers] astounded David Kroll, who became chief marketing officer at MillerCoors in July. “Disappointing,” Mr. Kroll said in an interview, “that we weren’t speaking to women.”

I find it astounding that Mr. Kroll, in this global role, is so apparently clueless to the true state of marketing to women. Maybe I’ll send him a copy of Marti Barletta’s book as education. How does someone inserted into the role of the head of a global brand company ascend with such ignorance? How can one be astounded when the fact is that females are herstorically over half of the global human population*? How can a massive business be so self-blind to the fact that women make 75 – 85% of all purchases, across categories? How is that even possible?

“The thought of being fully inclusive to women, when you speak to millennials, they’re like, ‘Yeah, duh,’ ” Mr. Kroll said. “In some respects, beer is just catching up to the millennial mind-set.”

No, Mr. Kroll. The reality is beer of all size isn’t paying attention to the full range of the drinking age population. See above*. All you seem to be concerned with is sticking to and trying to stitch & mend a brand which hasn’t changed with the times. Strong brands are always evaluating the landscape; many beer companies of all sizes continue to focus on the young male, which is foolish, short sighted, outmoded and will eventually sink ships. That’s your aha moment right there.

And then there’s this from Heineken.

“Heineken has recently appealed to “moderate drinkers” with a new ad that suggests modern women will be more attracted to men who drink less. The latest commercial, one of three since the campaign began in 2011, features women singing the Bonnie Tyler song “I Need a Hero” as they walk away from ostensibly inebriated men.”

Newsflash: Women who enjoy drinking beer don’t need men to do it or even sanction their own activities. That’s archaic thinking. And who the heck says women ‘need a hero’ in a man? (How do lesbians think about all this by the way?) This idea only perpetuates the ‘need’ for women to have men. It only underscores the inaccurate shoring up of the false ground that females need males. Women need to be strong women in their own right. The irony is that beer ads targeted towards men don’t indicate a ‘need’ for them to have smart women. Good grief! This just gets more ridiculous…

“Some brands have also introduced new products to attract women in recent years, though results have been mixed. In 2011, for instance, Molson Coors introduced a “bloat resistant” beer called Animée that came in different flavors and colors, while the Carlsberg Group created a gender-neutral beer called Copenhagen with a minimalist aesthetic that resembled a sleek bottle of white wine. Both were short-lived.”

This makes me want to laugh out loud – and laugh I must as the sheer idiocy of the apparent brand think of Molson Coors and Carlsberg. The key here is they are clearly NOT doing market research to find out what women of varied vantage points want from their relationship with beer. I’ve done 7+ years of qualitative research talking and listening directly to women all over the USA (with some international voices chiming in, happily) and it’s never once come from a women that she wants a “bloat resistant” beer. If Molson Coors, Heineken, Carlsberg, ANYONE wants to know what women want, they need to directly ask women with no brand influence to speak up.

The whole Copenhagen campaign – where did that come from? It would seem to me Carlsberg should have marketed that towards wine lovers if it was modeled after a “sleek bottle of white wine” (and does red wine feel left out here?).

If they did that, if they really asked women what they want from beer, why they do and don’t engage, they will find a treasure trove of insight – useful immediately impactful insight from women who are eager to be heard. And not lumped or grouped. It makes me wonder, do males resent being lumped in the frat party stereotype like many women hate the T&A?

The truly sad part of seeing this about Carlsberg is the fact that they have some brilliant marketing out there – wow!! It’s right on with humor, focusing on the beer, and really tapping into the beer drinkers enthusiasm. How did it go so drastically off kitler?

We are all more than the sum of our parts. We are our brains, our taste buds, our beliefs. We are all different and all unique and therefore this article is a real (good) slap in the face to get people thinking about women and beer.

“Anheuser-Busch, on the other hand, has had some success with its fruit-tasting Bud Light Lime Rita range since 2012. Hard ciders grew 13 percent in 2015, while other flavored malt beverages gained 10 percent, according to Nielsen. “

This paragraph seems to stand alone, perhaps by inference in its placement in the article the author is stating that ABI has been marketing the above products towards women; though I don’t want to assume. It’s an absolute ball of hogwash to think that women are first attracted to fruit & sweet and that they should be sold cider & FMB’s. What an insult to everyone’s intelligence to think that. It’s long been recorded that all humans go towards sweet flavors, base don our preherstoric need to survive, thus looking at caloric rich sometimes sweet food sources to survive. Clearly we’re way beyond that….or are we….? Let’s move on.

“When it comes to gender-neutral advertising, though, the brand consultant Dean Crutchfield says that Coors Light, which has long sought to portray a robust masculinity in its marketing, is taking a considerable risk.

First of all, where did the idea come from that beer has any gender to it at all? Women have long been the worlds brewers as well as consumers. We drank beer originally to boil away harmful nasties in water to make it safe to drink and somewhere along the way we developed the rut of think that Beer Is For Men. It’s illogical and unfounded. Secondly, we’re only doing a disservice to men who drink beer here as well. Really? Yes, really. If the pressure on men is that need to drink, guzzle and otherwise be the primary beer drinkers, then we’ve just shot a lot of flavor opportunities in the foot, as well as disrespected men in the process.

I agree with Mr Crutchfield in that alienating your core market is risky. That said, if the brands would have and would now recognize who is doing the majority buying and address that person, then they’d build their own safety net. Market share takes commitment to build, develop and nurture. To upend those who have stood by you is bad business. However it’s worse business to purposefully ignore those who are actually doing the shoring up of the brand: the buyers, who in this case and many, are women. Where the heck are you acknowledging her?

It isn’t sudden for women to be drinking beer. It’s been going on as long as here have been humans making beer. It’s not sudden to turn a corner to better market your brands to address, acknowledge and purse females in various ways. Risky – maybe, though it’s sheer stupidity by choice if you stay a course which isn’t working. Steer away from the rocks, find the open sea. Remember: none of this is monolithic.

Which brings us to Ms. Dougherty, whom I’ve read about previously.

“Britt Dougherty, MillerCoors’s senior director of marketing insights, says that women rarely self-identify as beer drinkers, and that beer companies have not done a good job trying to recruit them. According to Ms. Dougherty’s estimates, a more gender-friendly advertising approach could add from five million to nine million barrels to the industry’s sales in the United States over the next five years.

“It takes time to undo that baggage,” she said.

She really needs to get out and be among women and ask them how they self identify, because it’s obvious to me she’s not even doing that yet stating as much. She’s right when she says beer companies have not done a good job recruiting them, for sure! And – with a nod to Jackie – all beer companies are in this pool, size doesn’t matter here. We simply think the Bigs are guilty, smalls are guiltless because we see the wide spread campaigns of the bigs and not the smalls.

The Statement of Miff here is this: “We’ve represented a version of masculinity that wasn’t appealing to women.” Seriously. Why are you trying to appeal to women by marketing to men? That’s what this statement tells me and of course it’s absolutely the wrong tact. We don’t market tampons to men who care about women, we don’t talk about eldercare with teenagers with grandparents. If this is her vantage point, I’d be glad to meet with her over a beer and discuss.

And finally, to satisfy Ms. Dodd’s question of what I took offense to, here she is in closing the article:

“Jackie Dodd, who runs the popular cooking and beer blog The Beeroness, said she felt that craft beers, or microbrews, had always been about community and collaboration, including male and female brewers.

“I don’t think craft beer ever marketed towards women, they just valued them and that conveyed,” Ms. Dodd wrote in an email. “I’m not sure macro can do that, or even knows how. But if they can, more power to them.”

I’ve no beef with Ms. Dodd. As a comrade in kitchen pursuits, I appreciate her inventiveness and yes, Jackie, we are all entitled to our own opinions. So you get to respect mine like I’ll respect yours.

What smacked of incredulity is the fact you are using terms which aren’t helpful, in fact damaging, to the beer universe in general, macro & microbrews among them; ‘craft’ is a useful word in the industry but confusing and ill applied in the consumer world. Plus your so-called “microbreweries” are just as bad at sexism as any larger capacity brands. Take a quick internet search break and google sexist beer ads; tell me what you come up with and from which breweries of what size. I say let’s just call it beer.

And finally the subtle back-handed complement: “But if they can, more power to them.” Size has nothing to do with ability.

So, there you have my take. This was overdue in coming forth.

Thank you Mr. Schonbrun for your piece; please be in touch with me when I may be at your service as a singular resource with a much deeper pool of insight on women and beer. Same goes for all the others in the article. You’ve certainly fired up my resolve to keep at my endeavors to educate and enlighten. I’ll buy the first beer the next time we are in the same room.

Now, back to my book draft on women and why they drink beer…..onward. Cheers.

“Fixing the gender problem in Hollywood is important for women like [Director Leigh] Janiak. But it’s also important for women and girls everywhere.’We are influencing culture, which is why it’s so dangerous, I think, not to have more women making movies,’…”

So today I want your help. I want to know which women you know who write about beer professionally. No, not bloggers or cut-and-pasters or journalistic wanna-bes; we’re looking for the real professional deal here – any length of pro [paid] writing is valid.

They also need to be referenced as experts cited for their efforts and work. The Smithsonian Magazine recently got an email from me to that end. There’s a big fat gaping hole that needs to be addressed at that publication: enormous lack female subjects and experts as well as covers and experts cited. And though it’s a different genre, we’re still all in it together. Every instance of non-equitable gender representation matters. I’ll be mildly shocked, by the way, if I even hear back from The Smithsonian on my comment and call to action.

At a minimum I spoke up. And you can guarantee I’ll keep speaking up. You need to as well.

Comment here to share who you know so we can get a better look. There’s a HUGE dearth of the female perspective – and we have to hold the publications accountable as such.

Then – after you do so – directly contact the beer publications to hire them. There’s no good excuse why there should be an imbalance of gender in writing. If you’re a female beer writer, assertively pursue the work available and create your own ideas to make it easier for publishers and editors to say yes. Ask the editors you work with who have a big picture of the landscape to help you improve; ask them for suggestions on education opportunities. You must still be a good writer before you focus on gender.

Hot chocolate. Cocoa. hot cocoa….whatever the iteration, this lovely luxurious warm drink is a go to for me. Where is this topic going today since you hit the women + beer site? Glad you asked.

As a meeting last night, one of my comrades-in-meet said, I’d love to see you write about cocoa! This was after I was enthusing that I did really enjoy a lovely cup of ‘co.

What I love about it:

Warm when it’s cool out, which can be year round by the way. “Cool” is relative to your climate, mood, and headspace.

It’s as different as can be. Like spaghetti sauce, every recipe I try is its own variety.

It seems to fill my soul as well as please my palate.

if I have remaining cocoa, I can refrigerate it and make – what else – chocolate milk later. Bonus!!!

And the foam mustache is kind of fun too!

There are a few preferred dealmakers for my hot cocoa endeavors: I prefer skim milk. Not for the fat – fat’s yummy. It’s the viscosity I’m after (and yes, bring on the whipped cream!). I also much prefer cocoa powder to a pre-mixed sugared up mix. I can enhance with sweeteners as I wish, without the unpronounceable words in many mixes. And I can invent my own to recreate over and over and give as gifts. Finally, I like it to be made hot, cool enough so my taste buds can also enjoy it without being blown away, and of a size where I can happily finish it without feeling totally gluttonous. After all, I can always get another cup if I want more.

Beer and cocoa have a few connections. As an avid cook and recipe inventor, adding a complementary beer in a small quantity to a suitable hot cocoa recipe is really fun. The delicious opportunities abound. Whenever I use beer as ingredient, I am mindful of starting with small quantities and then adding as I want more intensity and flavor of chosen beer. Less is usually more.

So, Kassia, there you have it! My hot cocoa post. Thanks for giving me the idea. Next time we meet, hot cocoas all around. Think Emily’ll go for it too?

Many thanks to all of you who supported the recently completed Big Beers Belgians & Barleywines Festival in Vail, Colorado USA. As anticipated, it was a smash and a ball, thanks to the vision, hard work, logistical magic and mojo of many.

Guests doing a pledge with me at Big Beers 2016

It was with great relish I was invited to return and present again – so that I did. Here’s the link from my session, Wandering Around The Kitchen with Ginger. Great crowd (you know who you are!) and super helpful and fun volunteers to boot, guided by my Fine Husband as well. Preparing and sharing food and drink is at the top of my happiness list in life.

My original menu was entirely different, with fully prepared dishes. Alas – one of the powers that be sent down orders from on high at a very late hour, so – being nimble, I switched to fit a whole different set of parameters. Can do.

In the bigger scheme of things, I pride myself on being nimble and being able to change with the flow. Everything is possible and I was there to take care of my host, the Festival and founders first.

Prepping the mushrooms with Dragon’s Milk

Wandering around the kitchen is descriptive of how I approach and navigate my food & cooking world. It’s overflowing with opportunity, ideas and shiny things to try. I do wander…through my fridge, larder, recipe books & files, brain, and the stores I visit. It’s one great big tasty adventure and I fully embrace it.

A number of attendees who sought me out afterwards told me they would have never thought to use beer for rehydration or that they don’t usually eat mushrooms but they tried them and various other comments. Success is measured by participation. When you dig in, literally, then you achieve. When you let it pass, you negate discovery out of hand. Pity, really. Fun and exploration are so much more rewarding.

So thanks to the following for their help & assistance. See you again soon ~

Laura & Bill Lodge, Sister & Brother Wonder Team, put together this world class event and I’m thrilled to be heading there again.

In 2014 I was invited to present for the first time – here’s the menu I made & served to the happily SRO room. Wow! Yes, please – sign me up for more. They do such a great job there’s a wait to be asked to return to present if you fit their needs.

Laura & Bill are pros. The festival is an extended experience with dynamic offerings for all sorts of activities: classes, seminars, and tastings among them.

World class talent. Full disclosure: I was invited back this year! And am thrilled with the other company I’ll get to keep – here’s the line up.

The attendees have an elevated sense of what they want – and it’s delivered on a snowy silver platter at this event: new ideas, high value education, and robust personalities.

It’s in snowy stunning Vail, Colorado. ‘Nuf said.

Well, there are plenty more reasons – like how the Vail Cascade Lodge is super friendly and accommodating…how you can walk out your room and go skiing…and the town is easy to navigate among them.

Me, I’m excited to head back and work with the team again. Anything they put together, I’m interested in attending. Beyond my Cooking With Beer session I’m giving, My Fine Husband and I will partake of whatever hits our fancy.

Wow. It hit me right between the taste buds last week – Belgian Beer & Bananas can come together terrifically!

Here’s where the flavor epiphany came from:

Traveling to work with a fantastic client, Global Beer Network, brought me to Massachusetts. As is the case for travel, you inevitably get to find places to eat. Two genres I seek out are Mexican and Ethiopian food. Yum.

Say Yes! to pairing.

As good fortune had it, there was a Mexican place within walking distance for me so I headed there one night for dinner. The menu was refreshingly enticing and so, as I do from time to time, I ordered a few small plates (‘sides’) to make up my meal instead of one entrée. Fried plantains with agave nectar were one of those items. So glad I did!

They were nicely fried, hot hot hot when they arrived, and it’s right then it hit me: Bananas so obviously go with many Belgian beers. The yeast contributions can often match a variety of bananas in intensity and complement each other wildly flavor wise. As a flavor hound, it hit the bulls-eye.

Had I thought of this pairing before? Highly likely. And circumstances as they were simply brought it home, full on. Will I remember it more readily now? Absolutely.

Cooking with beer, pairing talks, and various beverage and drink events are always on my agenda. I have now officially written down the idea to use in the not so distant future. Boom.

It’s good to build a Flavor Library – tastes, pairings, and ideas to tap into when you’re racking your brain to develop a menu. So glad to have a newly invigorated couple to call upon soon.

Enjoy your beer, bananas and combining all sorts of flavors this season.

One thing I am grateful for is friends. Industry friends in particular are on my mind today, as I am developing my seminar at the 2016 Vail, CO Big Beers Belgians and Barleywines Festival.

It’s a huge treat to be invited to return and give another flavorful session to a packed room. Thanks to Laura, Bill and everyone who gets this tasty beast off the ground, year after year.

Ginger & John Holl at 2014 BBBB (yes!!)

I love this festival for many reasons: well run, well done, well attended, super engaged guests, a slightly elevated (though not snobby) brand of attendee. My former WEB Captain Diane and I rocked the session out in 2014. Perhaps it was the aroma from the slow cooker of the Grown Up Pork & Beans I made in our hotel room…in any event, Vail – here I come again.

As alcohol regulations stipulate, interstate trade of beer has its own miasma to negotiate, including labeling. To that end, two of my three choices for breweries were ruled out this week. Damn! So I set about to scramble and replace.

It’s not fun to be asked – “Hey – I need a replacement for someone else, it’s short notice…can you help me?” This is where relationships come full circle. I was able to call on two other industry frolleagues who were very quick to reply and say YES! Both of whom I’ve worked with before in beer, food & cooking events. They understand the rules of beer law and see the value in working together.

Today I’ve got it all dialed in, thanks to the help of all three generous breweries & folks. Here they are:

The Bruery, Placentia CA. Patrick’s beers and operation have long-held my taste buds at attention – the styles they brew really agree with me, are very refreshing, low alcohol many, and I’m very eager to develop my recipe and serve it with a fresh Bruery beer at the event.

New Holland Brewing, Holland MI. My friend Fred, aka The Beervangelist, stepped right up to the plate. He and I have done the Fred & Ginger show (literally!) at GABF and other events (SAVOR) as well as sharing a passion of the bigger picture of food, cooking and community. I’ll gladly be cooking with and serving one of their beers in Vail.

Are you coming?

Allagash, Portland ME. Having featured Fluxus in 2014 at Vail, I was very happy they replied so quickly to my request to again be one of my partner beers. And deliciously so! Allagash is an absolute go-to brand for me – my husband even packed 3 (4) packs home with him earlier this year when he was in Portland. Good man. Great beer. Thrilled to have them return to the line up for my event.

‘Tis the season to pour a delicious beverage and tell people what you think!

If you’re a woman and have an opinion about beer, please contribute.

Here’s the link – and it’s easy to remember as well: womenenjoyingbeer.com/survey2015

Thanks for your input!Men – forward to the great women in your lives please.

Why are we doing this? In 2012 we put forth a 50 question survey – the first of its kind anywhere – for women to share their insights, opinions and thoughts on their relationship with beer.

Response was explosive! And I’ve started writing the (first) book with the insight. To make sure we’re still correct on much of the data shared, I’m offering this brief period for more to reply, whether new opinions or previous ones with an updated lens. Surveys will be accepted until December 31st, 2015.

It’s a quick 10 questions, fun to answer and all replies are very much appreciated.

And where ever and however quickly it came from (seriously, only 300+ days ago??), tis the season. While I give the gift of books in particular year round, I want to share a few favorites with you today for beer & flavor lovers everywhere.

Books:

yum yum yum…Beer Pairing, by Julia & Gwen

Beer Pairing, The Essential Guide From The Pairing Pros, Julia Herz & Gwen Conley *just* released (2015 Voyageur Press). I’ll have Julia sign my book when next I see this dynamo of the beer gospel. Both she and Gwen have cut a smart swath to helping people enjoy beer. It’s a comprehensive book on what, why, when, how and why not of beer and food pairing. A great read and flavorfully inspiring, once you buy one for yourself get a few for others.

Cheese & Beer, Janet Fletcher (2013 Andrews McMeel Publishing). Janet’s written a few dozen books on food – cheese being her forte and oh-so-deliciously so! Others include Cheese & Wine, The Cheese Course, Yogurt (a personal fav go-to), and Four Seasons Pasta. All dandy and mouthwateringly fun and functional. Her writing style and the information she gives us is timeless and well rounded by smarts and broad world view.

Ambitious Brew: The Story of American Beer, Maureen Ogle. Maureen is an historian and was inspired to write about beer upon wondering what her next book was – and at that moment having a Budweiser truck cross her path while driving. Inspiration struck and she’s tells the story starting in the 1880’s to modern times. Great read like many with herstorian context: you learn way more about way more than you think.

The American Craft Beer Cookbook, John Holl (Storey Publishing 2013). John’s an accomplished journalist and definite flavor lover. I’ve had the pleasure of sharing many beers with him as well as having hosted a book signing party when the book came out. He’s collected recipes with beer in them and paired with beers from brewpubs across this fine country. With sidebar stories and additional beer suggestions included, this book is a winner winner beer for dinner.

Beyond books, I’d invite you to find a few Women Enjoying Beer & Men Enjoying Women Enjoying Beer goods on our shopping page. Since we’ve exited a very successful festival circuit run, we’ve got a few goodies remaining looking for great homes. Be ahead of the curve as they may be collectors items soon!

Your Local Brewery

SSBC Gift Six pack

Our local breweries need our business. They pump ridiculous amounts of effort & money into our local economies, all the way up to the federal level (ask them about excise taxes, for example). Visit them all, as you can and see fit. Ask them questions, listen, share, buy and support. One of my locals, Standing Stone Brewing Company, sells Brewer For The Day packages as well as the holiday Gift Six Pack. Order a keg in advance to help celebrate in tasty fashion, give the gift of lovely glassware.

Homebrewing

Home brewing abounds in America! It’s a fabulous opportunity to learn to cook a whole new recipe: Beer. Locate your local shops and go to a demo, hang out with the local clubs, and start making your own. Like food cooks, many professional “beer cooks” start by homebrewing. The American Homebrewers Association is a super place to start.

Whatever you do, give the gift of flavor this season – and year round. Start with flavor first, experiment, try, share and repeat. Beer changes as does everything else in life so pour it on.

Then come to this highly interactive and educational workshop with the industry expert and leader of women + beer, Ginger Johnson, and take away insight you can apply immediately for increased and improved business success.

Tom Horst/Crystal Springs Brewing & Ginger at BBBB 2014

With enormous possible market share development, smart marketing in the beer world requires examination of women as buyers and consumers. This entertaining and enjoyable session is well worthwhile to those who want to learn more about the Why Behind The Buy for women.

Women Enjoying Beer is the only business on the planet dedicated to talking with women about their relationship with beer. Her first TED talk covered beer and women, April 2015. As a qualitative researcher, she finds out the why behind the buy and all the decisions making influencers of women + beer. Founded in late 2008, Ginger has been invited to present/be part of multiple international events including CBC, NBWA, Toronto’s Festival of Beer, SAVOR, Congresso Cervesa Mexico as well as many other industries’ conventions and events including the National Restaurant Association, CIA/St Helena, Whistler/BC Bike, and Texas Restaurant Association. Her BeerRadio program ran strong for 4 years, she’s featured in the award-winning documentary For The Love Of Beer, dozens of TV spots, and has written about and been included in many articles in publications including The New Brewer, All About Beer, IBD, and various beer and other industry publications.

I would also say that these hilarious and still damaging ideas are so off base it makes me wonder what some people in the beer world – from the very large to the extremely small capacity – are doing all day.

Do they think women are a different species?

Do they think women don’t have their own taste buds, brains and ideas?

Do they think women are monolithic and one-dimensional?

If you think all these things (per the above article) then do you assume all men drink beer?

And who the heck do they think is doing all the buying??

The converse is just as much a part of the damage and regression as is the ill we’re discussing here. And I must assume the above is apparently correct since the article clearly covers the ostrich style “aha” moment they seem to be having.

Reading articles like this – once I pick myself up off the floor from laughing at how off the deep end blind they are – is overwhelmingly the reason why this business of Women Enjoying Beer is around and keeps going. We have so much to do!

Women + Beer: Still so far to go.

So listen up MillerCoors and AB and all beer makers across the globe: here’s the truth from the worlds only & leading women + beer psychographic researcher.

Women want flavor, just like men do. Taste buds and brains is what you need to target, not sex, foreplay, sophomoric images names & antics and outmoded ideas of women.

Women want and deserve full respect in all aspects of life, beer included. Wise up and you’ll see your share increase and grow.

It’s the 21st century. Though concerning stuff that comes out like this, it may as well be the 1400’s.

There are 3 Universal Truths of Women and Beer. Cruise this site for that info – it’s free and available to all.

The research we started conducting and gathering years ago is apparently the only authentic voice of the Every Woman and her relationship with beer. It’s not pink, it’s not f**k you attitude, and it’s really very straight forward. Hint: Start by asking everyday women first. They’ll tell you what you need to know, not what you think you want to hear.

So – to Ms. Dougherty and Mr. Socquet and all the other people in beer who still do not understand marketing women and beer, here’s your call to action. Call me, I can help you. Not only regain that precious 10% you’ve so rightfully lost by not properly marketing to women, I can help you make progress in the global market by successfully addressing women which will lead to so many positives; for you – selling more beer to the worlds most powerful market is one of those outcomes. And in doing so – in your reaching out, you will change the world for the better.

Here’s part of the deal: it’s always so terribly ironic to me that someone in an identified population, in this case female, can be so stupefyingly blind to the population they are related to (Ms D). And that those unrelated, in this case men, are so thoughtless to the members of the identified population they know (think – moms, sisters, aunts, grandma’s and the like) (Mr. S).

The last thing the world needs now is these incredibly outmoded, non substantiated ideas of women. As they relate to beer there are so many things we can all do to shatter bad and incorrect stereotypes and ideas. In my TED talk, I cover some of this material.

To everyone out there who wants more information they can use – I invite you to call me. That’s precisely what we are available for: to educate and move forward the greater good with the Women+Beer vehicle.

By the way, Mr. Souquet can “hope” all he wants: “Socquet said he hopes to capture more business from women with sweet drinks and colorful designer packaging.” How incredibly insulting and wrong you are. He’s going to fail miserably without getting outside whatever walls he’s put himself behind. This indicates a sheer stupidity and again ignorance of women’s intelligence and buying power. You might want to start job shopping, Mr. S….

In response to my monthly enewsletter sent from my GingerJohnson.com url, a curious recipient inquired:

“Here’s my question! “Women Enjoying Beer”. Is this a niche you want to create for yourself in the marketing world? Have you found this limiting in bringing in new potential clients because you are so specific? Since distilleries are coming more and more into play this area could be ripe for new marketing business from distilleries. What are your thoughts?”

My reply included the fact that I’ve had Women Enjoying Beer for 7 years now and it remains part of my businesses and pursuits.

The word ‘Niche’ has always gotten a bit under my skin, though I know what the reader is asking and rightly so. Niche seems to minimize, to somehow make it feel frivolous and inconsequential. Quite the contrary.

You must have a focus for any entity, any tax status, any reason before you open doors to be In Business. My focus has been on women and their relationship with beer. As the industry pioneer in this endeavor, to talk with, listen to and gather the insight from women directly, I’ve found the entirety of input mind blowingly thought-provoking.

Limiting? No way. Hell, it’s been an explosion!! A population previously unasked (women) about a global fact of life in earth as a race (beer) has continued to gather attention, spur students, media & press to contact me & want to talk for a paper they’re writing, and still invites smiles from the unfamiliar when they see my logo.

I’d limit myself and opportunity for women everywhere if I didn’t ask the questions I do of women as it relates to beer.

Why do I do it? Because I want to know, who more women don’t enjoy beer. Because I know now it’s not about women or beer, it’s a much bigger scope and purpose. Because no one else has deigned to see the import of talking with the worlds largest global population about an everyday topic. When this happens – when there conversations happen – we open doors into all sorts of other concerns, issues and topics. It’s like tipping dominoes that can never return to a stultified position (thankfully).

Distilleries are certainly open to contacting me as well – as are wineries, cideries, book manufactures & authors, car makers, plumbers, insurance agencies, and every single other good & service. Marketing services based on our singular and proprietary qualitative psychographic research benefits everyone, beer enjoyer or not.

I can help all businesses who are serious about properly and successfully marketing to women.

It’s the big pictures made up of small pixels that change the world for the better. Women + beer = big picture = conversations that improve our planet.

When the fervent myopic voices rise against one business selling any part or all of their beer company to a larger entity, I say sit down and listen for a minute first.

Like Ron stated in his opening keynote address at the CIA recently, the channels that open up in a strategic and mutually beneficial partnership are incredible.

Regional, national, global. For businesses ready to jump into that stream, I say good for them! Success is everyone’s’ own definition and choice. And no one can or should be the judge of someone else’s decision to do so – or not.

I was applauding his address because of this and also his challenge of one association to limit the word “craft brewery.” Who’s to say what is and what isn’t?

To each their own beer.

Yes, size of beer business has a lot to do with entry to market and barriers inherent, as well as access to materials, position in line to get different goods and services, and marketing geography. The first part of the equation must be quality. With a quality product, everything is possible. Partnerships with global companies enable access to a world of more possibilities.

Plus – and I think this is a funny twist – most people jump down the throats of the Big’s, saying they bought them out. We forget: the Big’s only buy what’s available for sale from the sellers. So we must make sure we also state the smalls sold. Not sold out – that’s a short-sighted insulting concept to say the least. If you like a brand and support it, to me the continued support regardless of ownership does not transplant what the original brand is doing (until proven otherwise).

Support your local brewery. Support the breweries you like and drink. Welcome everyone to the table. Diplomacy is Queen.

I first heard the term recently at the CIA, St Helena campus, at the inaugural Crafting Beer & Food Summit. As a panelist and participant at the event, the flavor theme came up over and over and over…and it’s one I, daresay, preach about. Flavor first, then style or whatever else. To me it’s the entrance to our sensory gustatory experiences.

While the word hard some immediate familiarity, knowing the richer meaning and further information is fascinating. The book of the same title by Gordon Shepard expounds on the concept. More fascination.

So what’s this connection of brain and flavor? Scent and mental? Perhaps even scentimental…. Queue more fascination, please.

It’s true progress to see an icon recognize and promote beer – just as they have long promoted and championed wine.